1. What is Bookshare.org?

2. Qualifications to acquire a Bookshare Membership

3. How to download Bookshare files

4. How to use Read: OutLoud (free reader download from Bookshare)

5. Managing "My Members

What is Bookshare?

Tutorial video from website

Accessible Books and Periodicals for Readers with Print Disabilities (from www.bookshare.org)

• Bookshare® is free for all U.S. students with qualifying disabilities, thanks to an award from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
• Bookshare dramatically increases the accessibility of books. People with disabilities deserve the same ease of access to books and periodicals that people without disabilities enjoy.
• A searchable online library. Bookshare offers approximately 127,000 digital books, textbooks, teacher-recommended reading, periodicals and assistive technology tools.
• Readers of all ages. Bookshare offers affordable membership, unlimited library privileges and a community of Members, Volunteers, parents, publishers and authors.

Who qualifies for Bookshare?

Disability	Qualified/Not Qualified	Examples of Certifying Professionals
Visual Impairment (VI), such as blind or low vision	Qualified	A family doctor, ophthalmologist, optometrist, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Special Education teacher Certification from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in the U.S. or similar national body
Physical Disability (PD) which affects one’s ability to read print, such as inability to hold a book or turn pages	Qualified	A family doctor or other medical professional, physical therapist, resource specialist, Special Education teacher
Learning Disability Reading Disability	Students with a severe enough disability, and a professional certifying that the disability has a physical basis	A neurologist, psychiatrist, learning disability specialist, Special Education teacher, school psychologist, or clinical psychologist with a background in learning disabilities
Autism Emotional disabilities ADHD ESL and ELL	Not qualified unless accompanied by a visual or physical disability, or a qualified reading disability that has a physical basis	Examples above

Downloading Books:

Downloading and Saving Books Video

4 Important Downloading Tips to Remember:

1. To download copyrighted books, you must be signed in as a Member.

2. Format:

Choose the book format you will need:

DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System)

BRF (Braille Refreshable Format)

3. Saving the book:

• Bookshare books are downloaded in the standard zip compressed format.

• Bookshare books need to be “unzipped” before you can read the books.

4. Organizational Members have two passwords,

• a “member password” for logging in to Bookshare

• a “download password” for opening downloaded books

Using the Read: OutLoud player

Get It. Read It. Learn It.

Managing "My Members":

How to create Individual Bookshare Membership for Students:

1. Login to Bookshare

2. Go to My Organization

3. Click on Members

1. Find the student’s name in the list

2. Check the box next to their name

3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen

4. Click on Individual Membership Form

5. The form will now be generated for this student. You can print it and send it home with them. The parents complete this form and send it directly to Bookshare to gain access at home.

Quicktips:

• Add your students to your Quicklist so you don't have to search through the entire district membership
• Be sure to check out your personal preferences on your Bookshare account when logged in.